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Have you been wondering why the news page of our website has not been updated in a while? Well, our Instagram feed has been keeping me busy along with a recent trip to mystical Bhutan. Takstang is Bhutan’s most famous temple and simply breathtaking (physically and spiritually). To see more photos of my amazing trip, please follow KOANDCOARCHITECTURE on Instagram by clicking the logo at bottom of the page.

Beirnfels, the beautiful collaboration between KO&Co Architecture, DC8 Studio and James Anthony Constructions featured in the Brisbane News last week. Thank you to our lovely clients who gave us an interesting brief and a great bones to work with.

The Hill House has been receiving a bit of press lately. Recently published by Brickworks in their industry magazine DesignPlace, you can read the full length article on line. Thank you to John Blowers from Brickworks for all the assistance he provided during selection and specification of the bricks and to Keith Cockburn for his exceptional craftsmanship.

The stunning Hill House was featured in the Brisbane News this week, with the photographs showcasing the amazing site and the beautifully crafted kitchen island bench by Pop Concrete. Thank to my wonderful clients for the opportunity to design your home.

One Central Parkis one of the most inspiring multi-residential developments in Australia in present times. Sydney’s SEPP65 which dictates design quality of residential flats has allowed French Starchitect Jean Nouvel to convince developers to erect a heliostat on the southern side of the building to reflect sunlight onto the lower levels of the building. Skeptics may wonder whether it actually works or not, but after almost 12 months, the Patrick Blanc designed vertical gardens are flourishing and the building is truly amazing.

American Starchitect Frank Gehry has “graced” Australia with his presence with the new business school at the University of Sydney. Reminiscent of Gehry’s Fred and Ginger building in Prague, the building blends surprisingly well into the surrounding brick streetscape of Ultimo. In fact, if it was not for the custom shaped bricks made by Austral bricks for the project to achieve the sinuous curves, the building might have been somewhat underwhelming. The devil is really in the detail.

Illumination of buildings can transform spaces from uninviting to inspiring, as is evident in the industrial/entertainment area at Auckland Harbour. Like many of the world’s harbours, the ViaDucthas become a hub of commercial activity, entertainment, culture, fine dining and boutique residences, quite akin in many ways to our own Woolloomooloo.

An architectural inspiration closer to home….the Garden House was featured in the Brisbane News last week. This is KO&CoArchitecture’s first media feature and I was (unashamedly) excited! Thank you Michelle Bailey for a great article.

Yesterday I was viewing a friend’s photographs of a house he recently completed and one of his details reminded me of the creative genius that is Carlo Scarpa. Scarpa’s meticulous yet elegant details, his use of materials and his discipline in execution is incomparable and a constant source of inspiration to many. I conceived the idea for the Hill House staircase after a visit to the Olivetti Showroom in Venice. Whenever possible, I strive to achieve his elegance in my work. This photo is courtesy of my dear friend Nadia Watson, who saved the day when my camera battery went flat!

In keeping with the theme of exquisite quality of light, Sanctuario Dom Bosco by Carlos Alberto Naves is a less visited, but equally inspiring church in Brasilia. The modernist (almost brutalist) concrete exterior is a complete contrast to the delicate sensation of the interior. Made from 7,400 pieces of Murano glass set into lead, the windows are a tapestry of colour and in some areas, openable as louvres.